U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Arrives in Tel Aviv Amid Ongoing Conflict and Stalled Ceasefire Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday as part of his ongoing Middle East tour aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Gaza. However, shortly after his arrival, the militant group Hamas cast doubt on the success of the mission by accusing Israel of undermining the efforts.

Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “thwarting the mediators’ efforts,” delaying a potential agreement, and putting Israeli hostages in Gaza at further risk of harm due to the ongoing conflict.

This visit marks Blinken’s 10th trip to the region since the war erupted in October. He is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, on Monday, according to a senior State Department official. Following his discussions in Israel, Blinken is expected to continue his diplomatic efforts in Egypt.

A senior Biden administration official described the ongoing negotiations for a truce and the return of hostages held in Gaza as being at an “inflection point,” emphasizing the critical nature of the current talks. Despite months of on-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, significant differences remain unresolved, and violence continues unabated in Gaza.

On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 21 people in Gaza, including six children and their mother in Deir Al-Balah. The youngest victim was just 18 months old, according to the children’s grandfather, Mohammed Khattab. “What was their crime? … Did they kill a Jew? Did they shoot at the Jews? Did they launch rockets at the Jews? … What did they do to deserve this?” Khattab asked, as relatives mourned the victims.

The Israeli military has not commented on the incident but has consistently denied targeting civilians, accusing Hamas of operating from civilian facilities. In contrast, Hamas denies using such tactics.

The Israeli military reported the destruction of rocket launchers in Khan Younis and claimed to have killed 20 Palestinian militants in recent operations. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli man succumbed to injuries sustained in an earlier attack, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Ceasefire talks are set to continue this week in Cairo, following a two-day meeting in Doha last week. Blinken is expected to push for a breakthrough, with the U.S. having presented bridging proposals aimed at closing the gaps between the warring parties.

The conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, has resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the seizure of approximately 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s military campaign has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel, however, claims that 17,000 Hamas combatants have been killed.

Amid growing concerns of regional escalation, particularly following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Israel remains firm on its security principles. Netanyahu’s office reiterated that Israeli forces would maintain a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt to prevent weapons smuggling. Netanyahu has also pledged to work towards a deal that maximizes the release of hostages while achieving Israel’s war objectives, including preventing Hamas from retaining control of Gaza.

Hamas has criticized the U.S.’s optimistic comments as “deceptive” and accused Netanyahu of introducing new conditions to derail the negotiations. Disagreements remain over whether Israeli troops should stay in Gaza post-conflict and the implementation of security checks on people moving within Gaza.

While Hamas pushes for a comprehensive ceasefire, Israel has so far only considered a temporary pause in the fighting.